Sense of Belonging in an Isolating Field (81555)
Session Chair: Edouard Giudicelli
Saturday, 15 June 2024 16:15
Session: Session 5
Room: Salle 232
Presentation Type:Oral Presentation
Sense of belongingness describes an individual's feeling of being accepted, valued, and connected within a particular group, community, or environment. Creating a sense of community is important, specifically in nutritional studies, where underrepresented students may not feel they belong in a field where 80% of dietitians are white women and only 6% Hispanic, 3 % black, and 5% Asian. With the COVID-19 pandemic and lack of diversity in dietetics, students’ belongingness may be impacted due to social isolation and lack of representation. Sense of belonging in higher education, among underrepresented students, can increase motivation, self-efficacy, and persistence through rigorous courses. A new survey dedicated to understanding students’ sense of belonging was developed to probe students’ feelings of belonging, isolation, and connection to the broader discipline of dietetics and the MSU program. Student Scientific Identity and Sense of Belonging (Hanauer et al. 2016), Perceived Cohesion Scale (Bollen and Hoyles, 1990), and UCLA Loneliness Scale (Hughes et al., 2004) were adapted for our purposes and student population. Several open-ended questions regarding perceptions of barriers and supports to developing sense of belonging were also asked. The IRB approved survey was distributed to students and analyzed for effective and ineffective trends. Overall, students reported a high sense of belongingness but did make suggestions for improvement, including in-person activities. This presentation will discuss the results of the study, examine students’ sense of belongingness within the Department of Nutrition, and provide best practices that can build community in a field that can often feel isolating.
Authors:
Jessica Torro, Metropolitan State University of Denver, United States
Rachel Sinley, Metropolitan State University of Denver, United States
Melissa Masters, Metropolitan State University of Denver, United States
About the Presenter(s)
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